Bullet trap

ABSTRACT

A bullet trap is disclosed which is formed without intervening sidewalls to enable cross-shooting and the like with reduced risk or ricochet or damage to the bullet trap. Furthermore, the bullet trap can be configured in a variety of ways to eliminate the need for facing plates while providing a removable attachment mechanism, to enable repair on the trap, to reduce bullet adhesion to the trap and to provide improved containment of lead and improved access to the trap.

1. RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/317,025, filed Dec. 11, 2002, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/340,201, filedDec. 12, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

2. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bullet trap for receiving projectilesfired at the bullet trap and for containing the projectiles. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a system which allowscross-firing of bullets with much less risk of ricochets and damage tothe trap, and to a system which allows bullet traps to be constructedless expensively and repaired more easily.

3. State of the Art

In order to maintain their proficiency with various types of firearms,law enforcement officers and others routinely engage in target practice.For many years, target practice was conducted in environments in whichthere was little concern for recovering the bullets. Firing rangescommonly used a large mound of dirt to decelerate the bullet after ithad passed through the target. Such a system was generally safe, in thatthe dirt was effective in stopping the bullet and preventing injuries.(While the most common projectile at a firing range is a bullet, otherprojectiles, such as shot, can also be present. Thus, as used herein,projectiles includes bullets and vice versa.)

More recently, considerable concern has been raised about the leadcontained in the bullet. Though the bullet fired into the mound of dirtwas safely contained from the point of being a moving projectile with asignificant amount of inertial momentum, the lead in the bullet was freeto escape into the environment. For example, when a mound containing anumber of bullets became wet, lead could leach into surrounding soil andeven the groundwater. When a range was used frequently, a considerableamount of lead could be released into the environment, thereby injuringwildlife and contaminating groundwater supplies.

Partially due to these concerns, firing ranges increasingly turned tothe use of bullet containment chambers to capture fired bullets andfragments thereof. The bullets may be recycled or otherwise disposed ofin accordance with environmental regulations, thereby significantlyreducing the risks of lead escaping into the environment.

Bullet containment chambers typically include an opening through whichthe bullet enters, a deceleration mechanism for slowing the bullet to astop, and a container mechanism for holding the bullet until it isretrieved from the containment chamber. Either end of the containmentchamber includes a sidewall which limits the lateral travel of theprojectile. If a projectile impacts the side wall, it may ricochet or,if a high powered round, may puncture the side wall.

One early bullet containment chamber is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 684,581to Reichlin. The chamber had an opening over which a target was placed.The chamber sloped downwardly and inwardly to provide a roundeddeceleration path. A container area was also provided at the bottom ofthe unit to collect bullets.

An alternate design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,013,133 to Caswell.Rather than directing the bullet in a vertically circular path, thebullet stop of Caswell had the bullet travel initially in a generallyhorizontal circle as it decelerated. As the bullet slowed, it would dropto the bottom of the deceleration chamber where it could be retrieved.

Yet another bullet containment system is contained in U.S. Pat. No.5,535,662 to Bateman. The containment system utilizes angled impactplates to decelerate bullets. Once the bullets had slowed sufficiently,they would fall into a canister mounted below the containment chamber.

All of the above containment systems suffer from the same commonproblem. Specifically, the side walls limit the ability of the bullet totravel laterally and raise the concerns discussed above with respect toricochets and damaging the side plates when the shooter is shooting atan angle other than straight ahead.

In addition to the above, many of the prior art containment systems haveproblems with bullets sticking to the deceleration plates. Additionally,those which provide a containment chamber often limit the access to thechamber. If the chamber becomes damaged or needs maintenance or repairwork, it is extremely difficult to access the interior of the trap.

Thus, there is a need for an improved bullet trap which allowscross-shooting with less risk of ricochets or damaged side plates. Thereis also a need for a trap which allows for easier repairs and for accessto the interior of the trap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bullettrap.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bullet trapwhich may be used with cross-shooting.

The above and other objects of the invention are realized in specificillustrated embodiments of a bullet trap, a preferred embodiment havinggreater than eight feet between side walls.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the bullet trap has aplurality of segments disposed adjacent one another, with at least twoadjoining segments not having a sidewall therebetween.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a plurality ofsegments are attached in a row with facing strips disposed so as to holdthe segments together. The plurality of segments enables the containmentchamber to be considerably wider than eight feet. This, in turn,significantly increases the ability to shoot at wide angles without fearthat the bullet will damage the trap or will ricochet.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the containmentchamber is formed by a plurality of elongate plates disposed ingenerally horizontally extending rows. The plates of each row aredisposed adjacent the plates of each neighboring row, but are notfixedly attached thereto. Thus, the plates of any particular row areable to deform slightly when impacted by a bullet without placing anyadditional stress on adjacent rows of plates.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, each rowof plates (or elongate plate) is held in a non-rigid engagement with asupport member. This can be accomplished by having the plates of a rownest in a slot in a support panel or they can rest on a common interiorsupport. Unlike conventional bullet traps, this allows the plates tomove slightly when impacted by a bullet. This, in turn, minimizesbullets sticking to the plate.

Additionally, by forming the containment chamber by a plurality ofplates which are not fixedly attached to one another, a person chargedwith maintaining the trap can remove some or all of the plates from aparticular row to gain access into the interior of the trap. This canfacilitate maintenance or cleaning of the trap. It also allows a plateto be readily replaced if it is some how damaged. Rather than cuttingthrough the plate and replacing it with a new piece, a damaged plate canbe removed and replaced. Instead of the bullet trap being unusable fordays or weeks, replacing a damaged plate can have the bullet trap usableagain within hours. Additionally, because welding is not used on theplate steel, the integrity of the steel is maintained.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is thatcontainment chamber is at least partially surrounded by a containmentshell. This enables the rows of plates to move without concern that leaddust may escape from the containment chamber.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, one ormore doors are disposed in the containment shell. The doors provideready access to the containment chamber and associated parts, such asthe hopper at the bottom of the bullet trap, or the rows of plates formaintenance.

It accordance with still yet another aspect of the invention, the doorsare biased in a closed orientation to prevent accidental release of leadtainted air. This can be accomplished by a spring loaded door, or theuse of a magnetic seal on the door.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, pieces ofplate are held together by a backing plate and fasteners which areattached to each plate. Preferably, the fasteners are bolt shanks whichare spot welded to the plates along an edge to be joined. Spot weldingis preferred because it has less effect on the steel plate. Once thebolt shank is welded to the edges of the pieces to be joined, a backingstrip with holes cut or drilled to receive the bolt shanks is mounted sothat the backing strip covers the seam between the plates and securelyholds the plates together. The use of the backing strip in this mannerprovides several advantages. First, it is easy to mount and remove.Second, it securely holds the plates of steel together and provides atortuous path which prevents projectiles from passing between theplates. Third, it provides a generally smooth bullet impact surface onthe front of plates to reduce the likelihood of ricochet. Fourth, theslight difference between the size of the holes in the backing plateallows for expansion and contraction of the metal plate as temperatureschange without stressing the plates or causing buckling. A very smallgap can even be left between the plates which is filled with caulk orsome other damping mechanism.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, aplurality of rounded or c-shaped plates are used to decelerate bullets.Unlike planar plates, they are less likely to be deformned afterrepeated impacts of projectiles.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the bullettrap include a support beam. The support beam is configured to supportboth the channeling plates and the bullet containment chamber.Furthermore, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the supportbeam can form part of the bullet containment chamber.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thesupport beam can be formed from individual sections to allow hangers orsupports to be attached to the support beam quickly and economically.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thesupport beam can be of varying dimension to thereby provide adequatesupport while minimizing the amount of steel required to form the beam.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, thebullet containment chamber is held in place at least partially by one ormore clamp mechanisms to ensure that the chamber backing plates aresecurely held in place.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the supportbeam can include one or more openings for receiving the clampmechanisms. Thus, the clamp mechanisms are held by the support beam toensure that the support beam and the containment backing plates aresecurely attached to one another.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a variety ofdifferent attachment mechanisms are provided for securing platesadjacent one another to prevent a bullet from passing between the seamalong the plates.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the bullettrap includes impact or channeling plates forming a primary impact zone,a secondary impact zone and a second primary impact zone prior to theaperture of the bullet containment chamber to thereby decrease wear onthe bullet trap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from a consideration of the following detaileddescription presented in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a bullet trap made in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of two adjoining plates connected bya facing strip in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate method forattaching two plates in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows a partial cut-away view of a bullet trap configured inaccordance with the present invention having a containment shell atleast partially surrounding the containment chamber, and FIG. 3A is across-section of the containment shell;

FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of a containment chamber with asupport leg and support frame disposed therein;

FIG. 5 shows an end view of a bullet trap made in accordance withanother aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of a bullet trap made inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view of the support beam of FIG. 6 witha hanger;

FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of the support beam with a foot forsupporting the support beam;

FIG. 6C shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate configuration ofthe support beam of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the bullet containment backingplates and a joint structure for holding the plates together without theneed for interspaced side walls;

FIG. 7A shows a side view of a support beam having holes for receivingthe clamping mechanism for attaching the bullet containment chamberbacking plates to the support beam;

FIG. 8 shows a view of a pair of plates having an attachment mechanismattached thereto in accordance with principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8A shows a view of the plates of FIG. 8 having a middle plateattached thereto;

FIG. 8B shows an end view of the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 8A with abacking plate and bolts attached;

FIG. 8C shows an end view of an alternate embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 8Awith a support beam forming the backing plate; and

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a bullet trap having a pluralityof impact zones for decelerating bullets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elementsof the present invention will be given numeral designations and in whichthe invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the artto make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the followingdescription is only exemplary of the principles of the presentinvention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the pending claims.Additionally, it should be appreciated that the components of theindividual embodiments discussed may be selectively combined inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. Furthermore, itshould be appreciated that various embodiments will accomplish differentobjects of the invention, and that some embodiments falling within thescope of the invention may not accomplish all of the advantages orobjects which other embodiments may achieve.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a bullet trap,generally indicated at 10, made in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention. The bullet trap 10 includes a channel 14 and acontainment chamber 16.

The channel 14 has an upper plate surface 20, which is preferably formedby a plurality of channeling plates connected to one another, and alower plate surface 22, preferably formed by a plurality of channelingplates. The upper plate surface 20 and lower plate surface 22 arearranged on complementary acute angles to the generally horizontal zoneof projectile travel 12. As a bullet is fired it travels from a wideopening 24 in the channel 14, to a narrow opening 26. If a projectile ison a trajectory which is lower than the narrow opening 26 it isdeflected by the lower plate surface 22 of the channel 14 back toward aconforming path. If a projectile is on a trajectory which is higher thanthe narrow opening 26 it is deflected by the upper plate surface 20 ofthe channel 14 back toward a conforming path. In any event, theprojectile is guided into the narrow opening 26 by the plates which areat generally acute angles (10 degrees-30 degrees, but optimally about 15degrees) to horizontal, so that the projectile remains in tact whiletraveling through the channel and into the chamber.

The narrow opening of the channel 26 is ideally substantiallycoextensive with an ingress 30 to the chamber 16. As the projectiletravels through the ingress 30 it impacts with the primary impact platesurface 32. As with the channel 14, this is preferably formed by aplurality of plates 32 a, 32 b, 32 c held together in a horizontal line.Thus, if plates which are 2 feet tall and 8 feet wide are used, theprimary impact plate surface 32 will be about 24 feet wide.

The impact plate 32 is preferably at an equal or greater angle ofincidence with the generally horizontal zone of projectile travel sothat the impact with the plate 32 is of equal or greater force than thegeneral impact the projectile may have had with either the upper 20 orlower 22 channel plate. The result of projectile impact with the primaryimpact plate 32 is that the bullet or fragments thereof are deflectedinto in a sequence of impact plates surfaces 34 which are preferably ofan increased angle of incidence, than the primary impact. As with theother plate surfaces, the impact plate surfaces 34 are preferably formedby a plurality of impact plates held together in generally horizontallines.

A terminal impact plate surface 36 terminates adjacent the chamberingress 30. Thus, the impact plate surfaces 32-36 form a series of moreor less continuous impact surfaces extending from the top of the chamberingress 30, around to the bottom of the chamber ingress. Likewise, byhaving the surfaces of the channel 14 and containment chamber 16 formedby horizontally juxtaposed plates, a channel 14 and containment chamber16 can be formed with considerable width without the use of sidewalls.The absence of sidewalls allows the bullet trap 10 to be used forcross-shooting, i.e. shooting at a variety of angles, without thedisadvantages sidewalls provide.

The rows of plates forming the primary impact surface 32 and otherimpact surfaces 34, 36 are supported by one or more interior supportframe(s) 40 and support legs 44. The plates forming the impact surfaces32-36 rest on the frame, and typically fit within slots formed in thesupport legs 44. In one embodiment, however the plates forming theimpact surfaces 32-36 are not fixedly attached to the support frame(s)40 or to the support legs 44. In fact, the plates forming the impactsurface are not rigidly attached to one another. Not only does this saveon manufacturing costs (i.e. there is no welding), it also allows theplates to move slightly each time they are impacted by a bullet. This inturn tends to knock lead debris from the plates, rather than allowing itto accumulate.

An additional advantage of this approach is that the impact surfaces canbe readily replaced. For example, the primary impact surface 32 is proneto wear faster than other impact surfaces because the bullets impactingthat surface are at a higher velocity. If the bullets cause wear of theprimary impact surface, the operator of the range need only disassembleand remove the primary impact surface. A new primary impact surface canthen be added and reassembled. With prior art configurations, replacingthe primary impact surface is nearly impossible. Furthermore, the entiretrap could be disassembled and reassembled if desired. This would allowa user to move the trap to different locations without cutting welds,etc.

In addition to holding the support frame 40 in place, the support legs44 support the weight of the trap. This is important because, unlike thetrap discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,662, the bullet trap 10 of thepresent invention is not generally built as individual containment unitsand then brought together. Rather, a plurality of open segments areattached to one another to form a large containment chamber havingextended width without sidewalls, or elongate impact surfaces are formedand then they are placed in an array to form an elongate bulletcontainment chamber. This distance is greater than eight feet wide andpreferably much wider, i.e. 20 to 40 feet wide. Such width allows for amuch greater angle of cross-shooting while minimizing the risks ofricochet, etc. It also helps to minimize costs.

Turning now to FIG.2, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a pair ofimpact plates 34 a and 34 b joined together by a facing strip 50 inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention. The facing strip 50can be made from the same type of steel plate or other metal as theindividual plates.

The facing plate 50 covers the space between the two plates 32 a and 32b and helps hold them together. The facing plate 50 may be welded to theplates, which can also be welded to each other. Such a construction,however, is expensive, risks compromising the steel due to the welding,and makes repair very difficult.

In the alternative, the facing plates 50 can have a bolt 54 or similarmounting structure attached to or extending therethrough. A backingplate 58 or a washer can be disposed on the opposing sides of the plates32 a and 32 b and a nut 62, or other fastener is used to secure thebolt. Tightening the nut 62 squeezes the facing plate and backing plateor washer against the plates 32 a and 32 b and secures them together.

In constructing the trap, a containment chamber can be built in aconventional manner with the impact plates being attached to oneanother. However, instead of placing sidewalls on the sides of thecontainment chamber, it is attached by the facing plates to othercontainment chambers to form one large containment chamber uninterruptedby sidewalls. Thus, the potential width of the bullet trap is virtuallylimitless and cross-shooting can occur at a wide variety of angles.

Likewise, the elongated containment chamber can be built by a pluralityof elongate impact surfaces which are placed adjacent one another in agenerally circular pattern to define a bullet containment chamber. Insuch a configuration, there are not a series of chambers, per se, butone long chamber defined by one impact surface at a time.

Turning now to FIG. 2A there is shown an alternate embodiment forattaching two plates together. As shown in FIG. 2A, each of the plates32 a′ and 32 b′ has a stud 70 attached thereto. Ordinarily, a pluralityof studs, in the form of bolt shanks, are attached to the plates. Thisis best accomplished by use of a spot welder which will quickly attachthe bolt shank to the metal plates with little risk of softening themetal.

The two plates 32 a′ and 32 b′ are held together by a backing plate 74which has holes for receiving opposing studs 70 of the plates. A pair ofnuts 80 are then used to hold the studs 70 in the holes of the backingplate 74, thereby holding the plates 32 a′ and 32 b′ together.

One marked improvement of the configuration shown in FIG. 2A is thatthere is no facing plate on which a bullet might ricochet. The backingplate 74, however, does provide a tortuous path. This significantlyreduces the risk of bullet fragments flying through small openingsbetween the plates, commonly called splatter through. The position ofthe backing plate 74 also allows the opposing side to have a cleanappearance. This is particularly advantageous on the plates 20 and 22which guide the bullet into the containment chamber. Rather than havinga number of facing plates, the plates appear on the front side to onlybe resting next to each other, but are securely mounted together on theback side.

A second marked improvement achieved by the use of studs 70 and abacking plate 74 is the compensation for thermal expansion. The holes 82formed in the backing plate 74 are slightly bigger than the studs 70. Asthe plates 32 a′ and 32 b′ expand and contract, the backing plate allowsfor small adjustments , i.e. up to about ⅛- 1/16 of an inch. Thisprevents warping, etc. without compromising the joint. If a bullet hitsa joint directly, a small amount of lead can enter between the twoplates 32 a′ and 32 b′. Once they impact the backing plate, however, theinertia is spent and the risk of splatter through is virtuallynonexistent.

Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a partially cut-away view of abullet trap 10, formed in manner discussed above. The bullet trap 10 haschannel 24 defined by plates forming an upper plate surface 20 and alower plate surface 22. The channel extends from a wide opening 24 to anarrow opening 26 which leads into the chamber, generally indicated at16.

The containment chamber 16 is formed by a plurality of elongate platearrays 32′, 34′ and 36′. Each plate array 32′, 34′ and 36′ can be madefrom a single long piece of hardened steel, or can be smaller platesegments attached together in a manner discussed above with respect toFIGS. 2 and 2A. Additionally, other attachment mechanisms can be used ifdesired.

The plates forming the plate arrays 32′, 34′ and 36′ are disposed abouta support frame, such as frame 40 of FIG. 1. The plate arrays 32′, 34′and 36′ can be attached to the support frame, or they can also remainunattached. In the unattached version, the support frame supports theplate arrays, it also allows them to be deflected slightly by the impactof the bullet. The deflection helps knock loose lead dust and fragmentswhich remain on the plate arrays. The lack of rigid attachment alsofacilitates servicing of the bullet trap 10.

The plate arrays 32′, 34′ and 36′ also can be supported by nesting inslots in a support leg 44 which supports the weight of the trap. Theslots are designed to hold the plate arrays 32′, 34′ and 36′ in desiredshape while still allowing some movement of the plates.

Also shown in FIG. 3 is a containment shell 94 which is disposed aboutthe containment chamber 16. Because the containment chamber 16 is formedby plate arrays 32′ 34′ and 36′ which are not fixedly attached together,small amounts of lead dust can escape between the arrays. Thecontainment shell 94, however, prevents the dust from leaking into theatmosphere surrounding the trap. If desired, a vacuum system 96 can bedisposed in communication with the containment shell 94 or directly intothe containment chamber 16.

Disposed in the containment shell 94 is one or more doors 100. The doors100 provide access to the interior of the containment shell 94 withouthaving to remove the containment shell. Thus, the operator of the bullettrap can perform maintenance or repairs on the containment chamber 16,or on the hopper 104 or conveyer mechanism (not shown) for transportingbullets without the requirement of removing bolts, etc. This also limitsthe area of the containment chamber which is exposed to the environment,thereby limiting concerns of lead containment.

Turning to FIG. 3A, there is shown a cross-sectional view of thecontainment shell 94. It will be appreciated that, while the shell cancompletely surround the containment chamber 16, it can also be made towrap around only a portion of the containment chamber. Such aconfiguration might be used, for example, if some of the impact platearrays 32′, 34′ and 36′ were welded together or otherwise attached toeach other (i.e. some sort of filler) to eliminate the risk of lead dustescaping from the containment chamber along those portions.

FIG. 3A also shows the doors 100 a and 100 b. The top door 100 a ispreferably provided with a spring loaded hinge 110. The hinge helps toautomatically return the door 100 a to its closed position when it isreleased.

The containment shell 94 also includes a second door 100 b. The door 100b is provided with a magnetic seal 114 which holds the door closed untilthe seal is broken. The door 100 b may then be opened to repair thecontainment chamber, to clean the hopper or remove containers whichreceive the bullets. Once the repair, etc., is completed, the door 100 bneed merely be pushed closed to prevent lead inside of the containmentshell from escaping.

A handle 118 is provided on each door 100 a and 100 b to facilitateopening and closing the door. Thus, the door preferably forms atool-less entry port into the containment shell 94.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown an alternate embodiment of acontainment shell 94′. The containment shell 94′ extends outwardly toenclose the plates forming the upper impact surface 20 and the lowerimpact surface 22 of the channel 14 leading into the containmentchamber. The plate arrays forming the containment chamber have beenomitted in FIG. 4 to show the support frame 40 and support leg 44′ moreclearly.

The support frame 40 preferably has two halves formed from continuouspieces which are angled to support the impact plate arrays. (If desired,a single piece frame could be used with the frame extending over theopening by which bullets fall from the trap.) The plates rest on supportframe 40 to provide the generally round shape of the containmentchamber. The plates may abut against the support let 44′, or the supportleg can have slots 120 formed therein for receiving the impact plates.It is preferred however, that the slots 120 be sufficiently large toallow some movement of the impact plates when impacted by a round.

The containment shell 94′ also lacks doors for accessing the containmentchamber, hopper (not shown), etc. Such a containment shell could be usedwhen an automated bullet removal system is provided. However, such aconfiguration is still disadvantageous, as it will require partialdisassembly to make any repairs as they become necessary.

Turning now to FIG. 5, there is shown a side cross-sectional view of abullet trap, generally indicated at 130. The bullet trap 130 includesthe channel 14 with the upper and lower impact surfaces 20 and 22 fordirecting the bullet into the containment chamber 16′. Rather than beingformed by a plurality of planar impact plates, the containment chamber16′ includes a plurality of C-shaped or curved impact plates. A primaryimpact plate 132 has first and second impact surfaces 132 a and 132 b,as does each of the secondary impact plates 134, 134 a and 134 b and theterminal impact plate 136, 136 a and 136 b.

The curved plates 132, 134 and 136 facilitate construction of the bullettrap, as fewer plates are required to assemble the trap. Additionally,because the plates are curved, the bullet will still tend to ricochetand impact the impact surfaces, rather than simply slide around thedeceleration chamber as is common in circular or helical traps. Havingthe bullet forcefully impact the impact plates lessens the amount oflead dust which is released as the bullet is brought to a stop.

The impact plates 132, 134 and 136 are held in place by the supportframe 40 and the support leg. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat either the support frame 40 or the support leg 44 could be omitted.Furthermore, numerous other configurations for holding the plates can beused. This can include a free mounting situation, as described above,wherein the plates are not fixedly attached to support frame 40 or thesupport leg 44. In the alternative, the curved plates can be attached ina conventional configuration where they are fixedly attached at the endsor on other locations.

Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown an alternate embodiment of abullet trap, generally indicated at 200, made in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention. The bullet trap 200 includes achannel portion 204 and a bullet containment chamber 208 formed by apair of chamber backing plates 210. The chamber backing plates areessentially impact plates similar to those discussed above, but aresufficiently round that the number of impacts are minimized. Thechanneling portion 204 is formed by a plurality of plates 212 and 216which form lower and upper plate surfaces, respectively, for channelingbullets into an aperture 220 of the bullet containment chamber 208.

The plates 216 which form the top of the channeling portion 204 are heldin place by a support beam 224. In traditional bullet traps, the supportbeam is a generally straight beam which has a plurality of legs attachedthereto for holding the beam in places. The bullet container is thenpositioned under the support beam and may be attached to the legs.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the support beam 224 is curved sothat it forms its own support leg. Furthermore, the bullet containmentchamber 208 can be suspended directly on the support beam. By providinga single support beam without separate legs, assembly time can bereduced. Furthermore, the support beam 224 may be modular if desired,and may be reduced in thickness as it extends toward the end of thechanneling portion 204, to thereby reduce the amount of steel which iscontained in the support beam.

Also shown in FIG. 6 are a pair of flanges 230 which are attachedadjacent an egress 228 of the bullet containment chamber 208. Theflanges 230 can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, belowthe egress 228 is formed a bullet disposal chamber 234. The bulletdisposal chamber 234 can house buckets 240 which are manually emptied.In the alternative, it may house a disposal system 244, such as apneumatic conveyer, a belt conveyer or a screw conveyor for transportingbullets to one end of the bullet trap where they may be disposed ofproperly.

When a bullet is fired at the bullet trap 200 it will initially impactone of the channeling plates 212 or 216. The bullet will then ricochetone or more times until it enters the aperture 220 of the bulletcontainment chamber 208. Once in the bullet containment chamber 208, thebullet will ricochet or slide to a stop along the generally circularwalls of the bullet containment chamber and fall through the egress 228.The bullet will then enter the bullet disposal chamber, where it willrest in the bucket 240 or be moved by the disposal system 244.

Turning now to FIG. 6A, there is shown a cross-sectional view of thesupport beam 224. The support beam 224 may be formed from a single beam,such as an I-beam, or may be constructed from one or more other beamconfigurations. (With a modular beam, an I-beam could also be used forpart of the beam, with other configurations used for other portions).

As shown in FIG. 6A, the support beam 224 is formed by two C-shaped beammembers 250 and 254. This configuration is advantageous because itallows a hanger 258 to be readily attached to the beam 224. While FIG. 6shows the plates 216 being attached directly to the support beam 224,the beams may be placed at a different angle than the plates. The hanger258 allows for such a compensation.

Likewise, FIG. 6B shows a similar configuration of the support beam 224.Instead of an hanger, however, a foot 262 is attached to the C-shapedbeam members 250 and 254. This configuration enables the lower plates212 to be used without numerous support legs as is currently used insimilar bullet traps.

FIG. 6C shows yet another configuration of the support beam 224. Thesupport beam 224 has an I-beam 270 disposed between the C-beams 250 and254. In such a configuration, an I-beam could be used for part of thesupport beam 224 with attached C-beams forming another portion of thesupport beam.

Turning now to FIG. 7, there is shown a cross-sectional view of aportion of the chamber backing plate 210 and support beam 224 to show amechanism for forming the bullet containment chamber 208. As wasmentioned previously, the support beam 224 can be curved. If desired,the curve may be configured to the dimensions of the back of the bulletcontainment chamber 208. A flange 274 of the support beam forms a facingstrip which is disposed on the inside of the bullet containment chamber.The chamber backing plates 210 are then disposed against the flange 274so that the flange covers the juncture between the plates.

While the chamber backing plates 210 could be bolted onto the flange ina similar manner as discussed with respect to FIG. 2 or FIG. 2A, or inthe method taught for joining plates below, the configuration shown inFIG. 7 utilizes a clamp device or cam which applies a compressive forceagainst the chamber backing plates 210 to prevent bullets from passingbetween the flange 274 and the chamber backing plates. The clampingdevice 280 is preferably pivotably attached to the support beam 214.Once the chamber backing plates 210 are disposed adjacent the flange274, the clamping device 280 is rotated about a bolt 292 to force thechamber backing plates against the flange. Additionally, a sealing strip284, made out of lead, rubber, epoxy, or other material, is placedbehind the flange to ensure that no bullet fragments can escape from thebullet containment chamber 208. Additionally, a filler or wedge 288 canbe disposed along the backing chamber to apply pressure from theclamping device 280 along the chamber backing plate 210 to hold thesealing strip 284 in place.

While FIG. 7 does not show the clamping device 280 engaging the backingplate 210 a, it will be appreciated that the clamping device couldengage both. In the alternative, clamping devices could be configured toengage the two plates in an alternating configuration, etc.Additionally, support beam 224 is shown with a dashed end opposite theflange 274 to demonstrate that a wide variety of beam configurations canbe used in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Ideally, the chamber backing plates 210 and the flange 274 of thesupport beam are configured with slightly different curvatures. When theclamp devices 280 are rotated into an engaging position, the pressurefrom the clamping devices forces one of the flange and the chamberbacking plates to conform to the other, thereby ensuring that theysecurely engage one another and prevent bullet fragments from passingthrough the joint. It should be appreciated that a wide variety ofclamping devices or direct bolting attachment can be used.

Turning now to FIG. 7B, there is shown a cross-sectional view of abullet containment chamber 208 formed in accordance with the embodimentof FIG. 7. The chamber backing plates 210 which form the rear wall ofthe chamber are attached to the support beam 224 by the clamping devices280 which press them against the flange 274. In this manner, the supportbeam 224 becomes an actual part of the bullet containment chamber 208.Additionally, because each backing plate 210 can attach to the beam 224,there is no need for side walls within the chamber 208. This preventsthe requirement of using deflector plates to protect the sidewalls, andallows a wider range of cross shooting on a shooting range. Prior to thepresent invention, a bullet containment chamber would have side walls,or would only be as wide as a single piece of metal. While a singlepiece of metal can be formed to relatively long lengths, transportationand support of such a piece of metal and shaping a single piece into thedesired configuration would be cost prohibitive. In the presentconfiguration, the chamber backing plates can be joined end to end in ahorizontal array to form a bullet containment chamber which is as wideas desired without any side plates intersecting the chamber.

Also shown in FIG. 7A are a plurality of openings 300 or voids formed inthe support beam 224. The openings 300 are configured to receive theclamping devices to allow them to move as desired. It will beappreciated, however, that the clamping devices can be formed so thatthey are simply attached and pivotable with respect to the support beam.

FIG. 8 shows a pair of plates, 320 and 324 having an alternateattachment configuration disposed thereon. Disposed along the edges ofthe plates 320 and 324 are a plurality of fasteners, typically in theform of nuts 330 welded to the plates. As mentioned above with respectto FIG. 2A, bolts can be welded to the plates to enable to two plates tobe held together without a facing strip on the shooting side of theplates. It has been found, however, that welding the nuts 330 to theplates 320 and 324 is preferred. First, the nuts 330 provide greatersurface area and thereby are less likely to break. Second, it is mucheasier to stack plates 320 and 324 with nuts 330 attached than to stacksuch plates with bolts attached. Thus, the use of nuts 330 makestransport much easier.

Turning now to FIG. 8A, there is shown a top view of the plates 320 and324 with the nuts 330 attached thereto. Disposed over the seam 328between the plates is a middle plate 334. The middle plate 334 isconfigured to cover the seam 328, but to not interfere with the nuts330. Thus, the middle plate 334 has notches 338 formed therein. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the notches can be formed asopen sided voids, or could be holes formed in the middle plates. In thealternative, the middle plate could be configured to simply end insideof the nuts 330.

FIG. 8B shows an end view of the plates 320, 324 and the middle plate334. A backing plate 342 is disposed on the middle plate 334 and a pairof bolts 346 are disposed to extend through the backing plate and intoengagement with the nuts 330. By tightening the bolts 346, the backingplate 342 is forced against the middle plate 334 to thereby hold themiddle plate securely against the seam 328. This configuration enablesplates 320 and 324 to be used to decelerate or channel bullets withouthaving an exposed facing strip. This, in turn, increases the ability touse a bullet trap for cross shooting as there is much less risk of aricochet, while ensuring that bullet fragments will not pass between theplates 320 and 324.

FIG. 8C shows an end view of the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 8A. Theplates 320 and 324 have middle plate 334 a. As indicated by the dashedlines, the middle plate 334 b can be narrower than the nuts 330.

The middle plate 334 b is held in plate by a backing plate 342 a whichis formed by a portion of an I-beam. Bolts 346 extend through theportion of the I-beam to engage the nuts 330, and thereby hold theplates 320 and 324 adjacent one another. Based on the presentdisclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety ofdifferent beam configurations, including C-beams, T-beams and the like,can be used to support the plates 320 and 324 and to hold the platesnext to one another.

Turning now to FIG. 9, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a bullettrap having a plurality of impact zones for decelerating bullets. In theprior art, it has been recognized that it is desirable to have a verylow angle of impact between the bullet and the channeling plates whichdirect the bullet toward the aperture of the bullet containment chamber.The common angle of the channel for a bullet trap is typically about 15degrees for both the bottom and top plates with the top descending at anangle of 15 degrees and the bottom ascending at an angle of 15 degrees.

With such an angle, the bullets traveling horizontally will impact thechanneling plates at an angle of about 15 degrees. The bullets typicallyricochet off the plates and hit the opposing plates at an angle of about30 degrees. Due to the sharper angle, this second impact point oftenreceives more wear than the initial impact point.

Recently there has been a movement to switch over from lead to tungstenbullets. The tungsten bullets are better for the environment as they donot contain toxic lead. Unfortunately, such bullets will be harder onbullet traps. After prolonged usage, prior art bullet traps may showsignificant wear in the secondary impact zone.

While certain proposals have been made to reduce wear by lowering theangle of channeling plates to about 7 degrees, such an angle wouldrequire large amounts of steel and property to produce a trap largeenough. In accordance with the present invention, however, it has beenfound that wear associated with secondary impact can be reducedsignificantly by providing a channel with changing angles. Thus, in FIG.9, there is shown a bullet trap, generally indicated at 400. The bullettrap includes a channel portion 204 and a bullet containment chamber408.

The channeling portion 404 includes a primary or first impact zone 412having at least one plate surface which is disposed at greater than 10degrees from horizontal (preferably between about 10 and 20 degrees andmost preferably about 15 degrees), and a secondary or second impact zone416 having at least one plate surface which is less than 10 degrees fromhorizontal. Ideally, both the top and bottom plates surfaces in thefirst impact zone are disposed at about 15 degrees and the top andbottom plate surfaces of the second impact zone are disposed between 5and 10 degrees.

In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment furtherincludes a second primary or third impact zone 420 having at least oneplate surface which is greater than 10 degrees and preferably between 10and 20 degrees and most preferably about 15 degrees.

By having first, second and third impact zones 412, 416 and 420, bulletsare channeled into the bullet containment chamber with less wear on thetrap. Additionally the impact zones 412, 416 and 420 are configured tominimize the risk of rounds hitting the back of the containment chamber408 without having first been decelerated. Rather, if a round passesthrough the aperture 424 without first hitting one of the impact zones,it will hit the top of the bullet containment chamber. The generallyarcuate nature of the bullet containment chamber results in an initialimpact of about 15 degrees or less, causing little damage. The bulletthen travels around the bullet containment chamber 408 until it comes toa rest.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the bullet trap 400 can bebuilt with a variety of construction methods, including those discussedabove. Furthermore, a bullet containment chamber having a plurality ofimpact plates could also be used.

Thus, there is disclosed an improved bullet trap. Those skilled in theart will appreciate numerous modifications which can be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Theappended claims are intended to cover such modifications.

1-71. (canceled)
 72. A bullet trap comprising: a containment chamber fordecelerating bullets, the chamber comprising: an aperture for allowingbullets to enter the chamber; an egress for allowing decelerated bulletsto exit the chamber; a support extending at least partially around theoutside of the containment chamber; a first impact plate releasablyattached to the support; and a second impact plate releasably attachedto the support.
 73. The bullet trap of claim 72, wherein the firstimpact plate and second impact plate are generally semi-cylindrical soas to form a generally cylindrical containment chamber.
 74. The bullettrap of claim 72, further comprising a channel for directing bulletsinto the aperture and thereby into the containment chamber.
 75. Thebullet trap of claim 72, wherein the support comprises a flange disposedgenerally parallel to the first and second impact plates.
 76. The bullettrap of claim 75, wherein the flange comprises an inner surface formingpart of the containment chamber and an outer surface.
 77. The bullettrap of claim 76, wherein the first and second impact plates areattached to the outer surface of the flange.
 78. The bullet trap ofclaim 77, wherein the support comprises a front support section attachedto the first impact plate and a rear support section attached to thesecond impact plate.
 79. The bullet trap of claim 76, wherein thesupport comprises a front support for supporting the first impact plateand a rear support for supporting the second impact plate.
 80. Thebullet trap of claim 77, further comprising a plurality of clampingdevices for holding the first and second impact plates against the outersurface of the support.
 81. The bullet trap of claim 80, wherein theplurality of clamping devices comprise a plurality of cams.
 82. Thebullet trap of claim 80, wherein the plurality of clamping devices arerotatably attached to the support.
 83. The bullet trap of claim 76,further comprising a plurality of clamping devices attached to thesupport and configured for holding the first and second impact platesagainst the outer surface of the flange.
 84. The bullet trap of claim83, further comprising a seal adjacent the first and second impactplates and adjacent the outer surface of the flange.
 85. The bullet trapof claim 83, further comprising a filler piece disposed between thefirst and second impact plates and the plurality of clamping devices.86. The bullet trap of claim 72, further comprising egress flangesdisposed adjacent the egress.
 87. The bullet trap of claim 86, furthercomprising a bullet disposal attached to the egress flanges.
 88. Thebullet trap of claim 87, wherein the bullet disposal comprises adisposal system for transporting bullets away from the bullet trap. 89.The bullet trap of claim 72, wherein the support member has a generallyT-shaped cross-section so as to provide flanges on both sides of thesupport member.
 90. The bullet trap of claim 72, wherein the supportmember has a generally I-shaped cross-section so as to provide flangeson both sides of the support member.
 91. The bullet trap of claim 72,wherein the bullet trap further comprises plates defining a channelingportion for directing bullets into the containment chamber, and whereinat least one plate of the channeling portion is attached to the supportmember.
 92. The bullet trap of claim 72, wherein at least a portion ofthe support member is formed by a plurality of C-beams placed back toback.
 93. The bullet trap of claim 72, wherein the bullet containmentchamber is suspended from the support member.
 94. The bullet trap ofclaim 72, further comprising a hanger attached to the support member.95. The bullet trap of claim 72, further comprising a foot attached tothe support member.
 96. A bullet trap comprising: a bullet containmentchamber; a support member configured for supporting impact plates, thesupport member having at least one flange; a plurality of impact plates,the plurality of impact plates being attached to the at least one flangeso as to define the containment chamber; and a plurality of clampingdevices configured for holding the impact plates to the flange.
 97. Thebullet trap of claim 96i wherein the plurality of clamping devices areattached to the support member independent of the flange.
 98. The bullettrap of claim 97, wherein the plurality of clamping devices arerotatably attached to the support member.
 99. The bullet trap of claim98, wherein the plurality of clamping devices comprise a plurality ofcams.
 100. The bullet trap of claim 96, further comprising a sealdisposed adjacent the plurality of impact plates and adjacent theflange.
 101. The bullet trap of claim 96, further comprising an aperturefor allowing bullets to enter the containment chamber.
 102. The bullettrap of claim 101, further comprising a channel for directing bulletsinto the aperture.
 103. The bullet trap of claim 96, further comprisingan egress for allowing decelerated bullets to exit the containmentchamber.
 104. The bullet trap of claim 103, further comprising a bulletdisposal chamber attached to the egress.
 105. The bullet trap of claim103, further comprising a disposal system attached to the egress, thedisposal system being configured for transporting bullets away from thecontainment chamber.
 106. The bullet trap of claim 96, wherein thesupport member comprises a front support member and a rear supportmember.
 107. The bullet trap of claim 96, wherein the support member hasa generally T-shaped cross-section so as to provide flanges on bothsides of the support member.
 108. The bullet trap of claim 96, whereinthe support member has a generally I-shaped cross-section so as toprovide flanges on both sides of the support member.
 109. The bullettrap of claim 96, wherein the bullet trap further comprises platesdefining a channeling portion for directing bullets into the containmentchamber, and wherein at least one plate of the channeling portion isattached to the support member.
 110. The bullet trap of claim 96,wherein at least a portion of the support member is formed by aplurality of C-beams placed back to back.
 111. The bullet trap of claim96, wherein the bullet containment chamber is suspended from the supportmember.
 112. The bullet trap of claim 96, further comprising a footattached to the support member.